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Seeking inspiration for a 2018 city break? Look no further than the crop of new openings across the world's best cities, from New York to Rome.

BARCELONA

EDITION Barcelona

Although Barcelona is making efforts to limit the construction of new hotels in a bid to curb the number of tourists visiting the city, plans for the city’s – and Spain’s – first EDITION hotel are still in full swing. The neighbourhood of choice is the buzzy, bar-filled El Born; the 100-room hotel itself will have a restaurant (chef to be confirmed), club and cocktail bar to contribute to the already happening scene. It will also be crowned with the must-have Barcelona accessory – a rooftop bar and outdoor pool.

LONDON

Bankside, London

The ranks of trendy design hotels in the vibrant South Bank area of London are set to swell following the opening of Bankside, a 'design-forward' property close to Blackfriars Bridge. With both the Tate Modern and the Hayward Gallery for neighbours, the hotel has certainly picked a competitive area in which to flex its creative muscle. It will mainly do this via collaborative work and meeting areas, a large 'white cube' gallery space, and a decorative style established around bespoke furnishings and local arts and crafts.

Bankside will be a 'design-forward' property close to Blackfriars Bridge

The Dixon, London​

This new Marriott Autograph Collection boutique hotel – set in the up-and-coming Tower Bridge Conservation Area – is squarely aimed at millennials, with its exposed brick, British-designed furniture and pieces by local artists, tarted up with brushed copper tables and splashes of teal. Large windows with light streaming in will keep the feel spacious, and the hotel’s cultural programme aims to support the local art scene, with guests having privileged access to neighbourhood theatres and studios.

Soho House White City, London

Private members' clubs in London hotels are having something of a resurgence, and Soho House will continue to be at the forefront of the trend. This year the verdict was mixed on The Ned, a multi-million conversion of London's old Midland Bank that seeks to lure City workers with its bar in an old bank vault and nine restaurants. For 2018, the group is going back to its boutique routes, targeting creatives with a smaller 47-room hotel in media hub White City's former BBC building. Guests can look forward to a feast of Mid-Century Modern architecture, bedrooms overlooking the Television Centre forecourt, and a rooftop pool.

NEW YORK

Freehand New York

Cool hostel-hybrid brand Freehand opens its New York outpost in what was formerly the George Washington Hotel in Gramercy Park, which was home to writers, musicians and creatives. Its past will be honoured through the ‘Freehand Fellowship’ programme, which will offer artists residencies at the hotel in partnership with Bard College. Rooms will follow the same Native American-esque styling as its Los Angeles sibling. Five restaurant/bar options have also been confirmed, including Simon & The Whale, by local restaurateur Gabriel Stulman, as well as an outpost of the already acclaimed Broken Shaker cocktail bar on the roof. Opt for a Corner King room for skyline views.

PARIS

Lutetia, Paris

The Lutetia – to this day still the only grand dame on the Left Bank – was originally opened by the Boucicaut family in 1910, across the road from their Bon Marché department store. Its history has been long and storied: it was used during the Second World War as a repatriation centre; later it became the hang-out of choice for the likes of Picasso and Matisse; and in the 1950s it was a key part of the jazz scene (Josephine Baker was a regular). It will reopen with 184 rooms – including two penthouse suites with private, 360-degree-view terraces – plus a jazz club, courtyard, one of Paris’s largest spas and a brasserie helmed by three Michelin-starred chef Gerald Passedat.

The Art Nouveau Lutetia, the Left Bank's only grand dame, reopens in 2018

Hotel Grands Boulevards, Paris

Parisian cocktail collective Experimental Cocktail Group are opening their third hotel, Hotel Grands Boulevards, following the success of The Henrietta Hotel in London and the Grand Pigalle in Paris. The former hotel particulier (a Parisian townhouse hotel) is located down a secret passageway in the second arrondissement. It was built during the French Revolution, and interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon will play on this fact through her canopied beds, red marble and bronze sconces. Think Louis XVI for the modern Parisian. A restaurant by chef Giovanni Passerini and a terrace bar with twinkly Paris views, and cocktails (of course), complete the picture.

ROME

Elizabeth Unique Hotel, Rome

This sensationally restored 17th-century palazzo aims to lure design-lovers with its antique wallpapers, couture fabrics and lacquered surfaces. Rooms are furnished with canopy beds and curated art pieces. Guests can sip their afternoon coffee by the reading room’s crackling fireplace, or enjoy an aperitivo in the jasmine-scented garden terrace. The location is also a winner, in the pedestrianised Via del Corso neighbourhood, and a few minutes’ stroll from the Spanish Steps.

VENICE

Palazzo Volpi, Venice

This Venetian palazzo was formerly the embassy of the Brescia in the 16th and 17th centuries, and was later the home of the Consulte of Argentina. Today, it’s a modern interpretation of a classic palace. While original features remain – in the form of beams, windows and stairs – more modern accoutrements include Venetian white marble and parquet flooring made from brushed Slovenian oak. Marble fireplaces, Frette linens, velvet sofas, silk rugs from India and mirrors from France’s finest glassmaker seal the luxury offering. The pick of the three suites is Suite I, which has two bedrooms and a secret courtyard.

WARSAW

Raffles Europejski Warsaw​

Warsaw’s heritage icon is making a comeback after a multi-million-pound refurbishment. The 160-year-old stone-and-stucco pile across the road from the Presidential Palace will boast rooms peppered with Polish art; and a restaurant encrusted with ceiling roses will serve traditional local cuisine. The hotel’s patisserie – once a notorious stomping ground of poets and writers – has been lovingly restored, shelves groaning with chocolates, cakes and sweet delicacies. The spa will feature a pool adorned with retro 1960s mosaics and six treatment rooms.